Born to a wealthy Sephardic family in the Balkans, Jules Pascin moved to Munich and then Paris to pursue a career as an artist. While in Paris, Pascin became associated with other Jewish artists, such as Amedeo Modigliani and Chaim Soutine, who lived in the Montparnasse district of the city. This portrait depicts Pascin's Swedish friend Isaac Grunewald (1889-1946), who was among the circle of foreign-born Jewish painters studying in Paris with Henri Matisse. Active in the world of stage design, Grunewald created scenery for productions at the Royal Dramatic Theatre, as well as ballet and opera sets for the Swedish Royal Opera.